NICKI MINAJ- NEW GENERATION OF POWER WOMAN

Just when you thought Madonna was the queen of outrage and scandal and tit flashing, her avant garde heir apparent manifested herself from Stefani Germanotta into Lady Gaga. Then just like that Madonna seems a little tame compared to the meat dress wearing new queen of pop but wait for it …….. a new ingénue has rocked up on the scene and is giving Lady Gaga a good run for her money in the form of Nicki Minaj, a Trinidian America hip hop singer. I do love her and not just because she a Trini like me but I also love her gravity defying derriere, which makes JLO dare I say look like a flat assed chica. Nicki has the attitude and look of the love child of Grace Jones and Lady Gaga. Thank God we live in a world that allows women to reinvent and express themselves and push the envelope on what is sexy and outrageous. I think it’s very democratic and helps women from everywhere, especially those from a stale and suffocating environment find their place on the sliding scale from being as conservative as the Queen to the likes of Nicki and Lady Gaga.

Remember that in the Victorian age, you would have been considered a bit of a slapper for flashing your ankles. I take my hat off to the ladies who did because without a bit of ankle flashing what type of world would be living in today? The world needs ankle flashers, even if you don’t want to flash your own but the option is always nice.

However, I do sometimes wonder if the likes of Lady Gaga and Nicki Mianj are the wicked brainchild of some portly middle aged men in a music boardroom somewhere -who are in fact pulling the strings on their meat and lobster jumpsuits. They both feel very different compared to Madonna and Grace Jones who have evolved their images and sense of self very organically over their careers, which has spanned decades. Or is it just that Gaga and Nicki are 21^st century canny performing arts school brats, who can play the game and are taking advantage of the path that has been beaten and head butted down by the likes of Madonna, Grace Jones, Cyndi Lauper and Bette Midler? Lady Gaga went to New York’s Tisch School of the Arts and Nicki Mianj is a graduate of New York’s LaGuardia School for Music and Performing Arts whose famous alumni include Kelis, Eartha Kitt, Jennifer Aniston, Robert de Niro, Al Pacino and Adrien Brody. Apparently Nicki played the clarinet at school it’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it?

Whatever the case may be- I likey and want the new generation of women being forged to be brave, bold and embrace their creativity.

P.S. I love the barb wire booty protector Nicki is sporting in the photo above, which was a present given to her on a TV show so people would stop groping her- I would love one for my giant ta- ta s.

GWYNETH PALTROW: PILLOW FACE?

Oh Gwyneth love, what have you done? While basking in her glory collecting her Hollywood Star of Fame the other day Gwyneth, 38 looked shall we say slightly Pillow Faced like she had (allegedly) hit the botox and fillers a little too hard.

Gwyneth babe, I know it must be frustrating that you have 20 something year old hotties like Scarlett Johansson, all up in your grill but really turning to the pillow face is sooooo aging. Everyone can see you have had a little something done and it screams paranoia and an air like you really care about those 20 year old bitches trying to take your movie star crown. You know what, as Tyra Banks once said on America's Next Top Model, "I've done my starving". Yes Gwyneth you have been on a diet since you were probably 15 and you have even confessed you have early osteoporosis (probably caused by this extreme lifestyle) but you have 2 kids, a happy marriage and your star, the ultimate Hollywood stamp of approval- let it go. I think this picture does symbolise what a lot of women in their late 30s and 40s go through.

As a women you will have to give up your hot sex kitten crown at some time and pass it on either to the Scarletts of this world or your teenage daughter- but it will happen. All you have to do is go to Topshop on a Saturday to see mother's who should know better changing side by side with their teenage hot daughters competing and struggling to get into that ra ra skirt and skinny leggings while silently whispering to themselves, "I've still got it, I've still got it".

Women really can have it all but just not at the same time- trying to do so will drive you crazy. Enjoy your hot 20s, your career driven 30s, your mama years and your powerful 40s and 50s and the wisdom and peace of your 60s and 70s. You can be sensual and sexy at any age like Monica Bellucci (46) but in no way is she trying to be sexy like her 21 year old self. It's just naff and try hard. Gwyneth ditch the botox and fillers do a Dannii Minogue, the woman has never looked more beautiful because she is literally glowing from the inside out with the happiness, contentment and joy her new life and baby has given her and that is the ultimate anti - aging secret.

ESTEE LAUDER SIGN NEW GLOBAL FACE PUERTO RICAN BEAUTY JOAN SMALLS

To say Estee Lauder is on fire at the moment is a bit of an understatement - they are a burning furnace of cool! Last night I was lucky enough to meet one of my beauty heroes Tom Pecheux, Estee Lauder's Creative Director of Make up (more on that later- the man is a genius and complete sweetie and needs his own post) and witnessed their new lip and nail collections, which quite frankly was a bit mind blowing with the explosion of colour and edge (2 words not readily associated with Estee Lauder but from now on they mosdef are).

If meeting Tom wasn't enough, I politely stalked him back in the day for Sunday Times Style and he was so lovely and undivaish he was a delight to interview, even though he really didn't know who the hell I was and probably thought how did this girl get my home number- is she watching me now as we're chatting? Estee Lauder has added some flavour and diversity by signing a new Global Face with Puerto Rican model Joan Smalls. I remember almost 10 years ago when Estee Lauder signed Liya Kebede - I almost cried. However, even with such a commercial stamp of approval as Estee lauder, Liya was still a hard sell to pitch to titles for me to interview because of her diversity, which was surprisingly not shocking but still upsetting.

We have come a long way and things are getting better and today in 2010 to hear Estee Lauder who I have always admired for their choice of global beauties and colours and consciousness to be inclusive have signed Joan I say- bravo. Estee Lauder you have just given a lot of self esteem and self respect to a new generation of little girls across the world, who will look at Joan and will then look in the mirror and say I am beautiful too. At the end of the day we are all pack animals and we need to see reflections of ourselves and our future selves in the world around us to help give us the imagination and vision of what we can be. Whoever we are and wherever we come from. Whether that's seeing and believing you can go to university, even with the rise in tuition fees (shameful), even if you live in a depressed area and everyone you know is banged up or a smack addict or seeing and believing that a woman can be a mogul and politician like Oprah, Hilary Clinton or Diane Abbott and that women can be successful not just by shagging footballers and being someone's mistress or wife. All little girls need positive role models but especially those from ethnic backgrounds as they are often starved of beautiful, classic, chic and powerful (and not just in the entertainment world) images to identify with -so again thank you Estee Lauder for having vision and being fabulous.

GRAZIA BEAUTY AWARDS

One of my absolute favourite titles to write for and read is Grazia. I love the mix of high street, the catwalk and the general fabulosity and that's why it was so exciting to be involved in their Beauty Awards this year, which shines a beauty spotlight on the most glam and covetable products of the past year.

I flew to New York this month with my husband and our Beauty and Fashion Filming Company Couture Communications, www.couturecommunications.com to film one of the judges of the Grazia Beauty Awards - the bubbly and world renouned make up artist Wendy Rowe who can be seen backstage at Burberry with supermodels like Daria and Anja Rubik. It was super fun and we had a right giggle filming some of the winning products on the stunning model Rose and winners included Tom Ford lipsticks, Estee Lauder's new eyeshadows created by Tom Pecheux, Lancome Precious Cells Mascara and Bobbi Brown's latest Natural Finish Long Lasting foundation SPF 15 for darker skin tones. Back home in old blighty we also filmed the other judges which included Anja Rubik, Hannah Poole author and fashion and beauty journalist, the gorgeous and talented superstar hair stylist Neil Moodie and the lovely Grazia Beauty girls at Grazia HQ.

To check out all the films we made featuring the judges and why they picked the winners please do check out the films on Grazia Daily on the link below.

http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/beauty/archive/2010/11/25/video--say-hello-to-the-grazia-beauty-award-winners.htm